How clearly defined is the NAP?

By libertytanuki · 2026-07-06 19:58:24

The following text is an extract of a speech from libertarian thinker Juan Ramón Rallo in a libertarian think tank

Incomplete specification

It is not completely specified in various fundamental aspects. For example, who does the NAP apply to? All adults? Today we would say blacks are protected under the NAP but in other periods of history this wasn't the case. Could cultural changes change to whom the NAP is applied to?

Kids, are they protected? When does a child become a full adult? Does it have full autonomy (as it does he own himself) or not? Can he be coerced by his parents? Can an external entity act on the behalf of the kids if their parents are aggressing on them?

The disabled, do they own themselves fully, does a dementia patient or a drug addict have free will? What if a senile man wants to drive. Can you use force to stop him?

What rights do animals or robots have? All of these many may have answers, but each answer changes depending on the individual so it is not absolute

What is aggression

If I hit my friend jokingly, is that aggression? Is an insult aggression? What about threats or libel? Can a death threat be considered aggression if it's credible enough?

Is breaking a contract aggression? Some libertarian thinkers consider it so but others do not. Why is there not a clear answer?

What about noises or smells? Miguel Anxo Bastos says that it can only be considered aggression after establishing a property right (your house, store...). Is there an objective decibel which a noise can be considered aggression?

If I enter private property by mistake, am I aggressing? If I am starving and I steal, what kind of compensation should I pay?

What is property

How does something become my property? Do I need to invest work in it? If so, how much? If I send a robot for terraforming Mars, do I own Mars now? If I own land and I stop using it, is it still mine?

Can property be transferred orally? What if I was drunk? Did Esau give the birthright to Jacob? What if I believe you gave me the land but you don't think that was the case? How is that conflict resolved? What differentiates a simple promise from a contract?

Can serfdom occur without breaking the NAP?

All of these questions prove that the NAP is not a skeleton key which solves every potential conflict and it will likely require rigorous debate and various amendments.